New to the game--how to get those precious first gigs?

[Dre]

Hi all,

just joined the forum sorry if I'm posting out of topic

I've been producing EDM for the past 4 years and am now at a point where I want to get out and start DJing. My dream is to play at EDM festivals and clubs. I just moved to LA to pursue my dream and just bought a controller.

I DJ'ed a bit in college--mostly house and frat parties--never in club settings. So I'm ready to start hustling, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. To all the people who get gigs--how did you get yourself out there? What did you do to get your first gigs?

Would appreciate any advice from you all, peace

[mitchiemasha]

Do you go to any events yourself? Small local events to you. Usually Dj'ing at those parties you mention evolve into getting bookings as more people grow to like what you play. Or, you'd end up putting on your own events and charging.

[Olly_P]

Yea, putting on your own events a good shout. Can hire a lot of bars for very little...

[pete]

Sadly the main and pretty much only way to get gigs is through contacts.
Skill, hard work and passion...you can throw them to the side.

We live in a world where the most powerful person is someone who has never had to prove himself to get any job. Take it as a hint that a lot of life works the same way.

So the only way is to get to know someone who is putting on a night, or frequent a night, or hassle the people who run a night...until you get a foot in the door.
Usually the response from promotors will be "sure you can play...for free...if you bring in X amount of people".
X is a number larger than people you know well enough to demand they part with their money to support your dream.

If all goes well, you will have to rinse and repeat every week. The promotor will probably have you hustling on facebook to get people through the door. You thought you were the DJ and not the promotor? Better get on the street and hand out some flyers ... for 4 hours before you get your 1/2 hour unpaid warm up slot.

If that all goes well, then you can finally get some people who actually like what you play and come out to see you. Maybe even one or two regularly. Sometimes. Maybe you are so reliable after a few years that you can call another club and say you could play for them. Maybe they will pay you money this time.

Did I say maybe?

At the end of this your are either playing clubs and festivals. Maybe even making a small amount of money.

Or all of your friends have become annoyed at your hassling. Plus they have all got older and don't go out clubbing anymore. Plus you have no money left due to spending it all on music and equipment.

[bonsaiaudio]

I would also recommend that you have a decent social media presence, mixes on soundcloud etc. It's better to have 1 mix that has 200 listens, than 200 mixes with 1 listen each. Focus on putting together something special, extra, find ways to add more value than what's being expected, and then promote it in different forums, send to all your friends and family, etc. Advertising for your mixes is also not a bad idea, if you have a mix that has a few hundred listens, you'll be able to book a gig SOMEWHERE when you send to the promoter you can say "Check out my mix, there's 500 listens". Begin there.

[tomaszp]

Well, for me, it's the hardest thing to do. Best way is to find some small gigs, and introduce Yourself to play on them. Every big DJ was starting from small parties. Maybe You can check local clubs for some DJ hours.

Best regards,

Tomek

[pete]

Although my post was quite negative, there is a lot to be gained from DJing.
I always play because i enjoy the music and I enjoy DJing.
I do not play for the fame or the fortune.
It is the only way I keep sane and realistic. But unscrupulous promotors will often try to exploit that.

The entertainment industry is hard to crack, and I have seen promotors lose a fortune on it. I have seen some people get a bit of success, for a bit of time. Always down to having good contacts (rich or famous people is a good help). Long term sucess requires tons of passion, financial backup and contacts. Plus, most importantly, luck.